Work

Next-generation ECC processor on FPGA: Leveraging Koblitz curves for enhanced performance

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This paper presents a hardware design of an Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) processor optimized for Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), focusing on the Koblitz curve Secp256k1. We introduce a novel, constant-time ECC processor design that efficiently performs Elliptic Curve Point Multiplications (ECPM). The design features an optimized Arithmetic Unit and a dual parallel-structured instruction set architecture that reduces computation time and minimizes hardware resource demands by utilizing Brent-Kung adders. Implemented on the Xilinx FPGA Kintex-7 for the Secp256k1 curve, the architecture operates at 202.3 MHz, utilizing 16.2k slices and 54 DSP blocks. This work aims to enhance ECC processors' performance and resource efficiency while preserving flexibility for secure digital applications in environments with limited computing resources.

Source: Ain Shams Engineering Journal

DOI: 10.1016/j.asej.2025.103495

Authors: Tung Nguyen, Khai Nguyen, Vy Nguyen, Hung Nguyen, Linh Tran

Institutions: Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Cryptography and Residue Arithmetic

Subfield: Information Systems

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,200

Funder: University of Science Ho Chi Minh City